Muddy Carpet
by A Little Rusty
Summary: She likes that he's honest. He likes her muddy shoes. In progress.
1. Muddy Shoes

**Seventeen. Dipper and Mabel spending summer in Gravity Falls. No AU.**

* * *

"I'm sorry, I don't-"

"I'm not saying you had to like me back, Dipper!" she was fighting the childish urge to cross her arms and stomp her foot, complete with chin held high.

This was beyond frustrating and maybe, if she were being honest, slightly demeaning.

A part of her, her pride really, was dead center trying to keep standing - too high strung to take a knee. So what if a boy didn't like her back? It shouldn't be the end of the world.

But still, she has to admit it hurts. Her chest stung, actually, like a lot. _A lot._

A person shouldn't live with their chest hurting at all. Let alone for a boy. I mean c'mon, of all things it _had_ to be for a boy?

How did Pacifica Northwest manage to get herself caught up in such a stupid mess again?

_Don't lose, _she could hear her all too important father breathing down her neck.

It's amazing how a mess like this could bring back that neglected child. The kid who held her pride over everything.

It wasn't fair.

She felt ready to crawl out of her skin. This situation wasn't helping at all.

"Look, can we pretend this never happened?" she made nonhelpful gestures.

"Paci-"

"Dipper, c'mon, let's not make this a big deal," she said through gritted teeth. She didn't notice when her hands balled into fists.

She wasn't going to walk away, that was too cliché and she was just asking more heart ache if she expected him to come after her.

No, she didn't need that.

What she needed was for him to understand. Right here, right now.

"Look, so now you secretly know that I secretly _li_ \- _have feelings_ for you. It's **not** a big deal. We'll move on with our lives, we don't have to talk about it, Dipper."

He had a hand awkwardly massaging the back of his neck and god damn her if she still found that endearing. He wasn't helping matters at all. She huffed, annoyed.

Here she was feeling mortified, badly beaten and, on top of everything, she was fighting back salt from her eyes and acid from her mouth. She had to keep reminding herself to not take out her wounded pride on him, Pacifica didn't need something to add to the growing list of things she was ashamed of.

She felt so many competing things and all he probably felt was awkwardness and uneasiness…

It was a testament of how far she regressed when she caught herself thinking _good, he deserves it_.

She shouldn't be around someone who could easily bring back that side of her.

She moved to sit on the grubby couch on the Mystery Shack's porch. Dipper caught her right before she was about to leave, having spent the day upstairs in the attic with Mabel.

"Look, Dipper," the proud Northwest's voice came out as a mealy whisper, "we're seventeen. We've known each other since we were twelve. We've been on adventures and near death experiences… _what I'm _\- what I'm trying to say is, it was bound to happen, okay?" she said with her gaze straight ahead lost in the woods.

Pacifca sensed more than saw him drag his feet to sit next to her. Oh, now she was hyper aware of him too? Jesus Christ.

When he didn't say anything, she continued.

"You wanted me to be honest when you asked me why I've been avoiding you since you guys got here, it was bound to be uncomfortable, Dip," she shrugged her shoulders. You could almost pretend that his non rejection wasn't bothering her.

He audibly swallowed.

That annoyed her.

"And you not saying at all really doesn't help the situation," she couldn't keep the ire out of her voice. At least it wasn't acid.

Dipper gave a chopped up chuckle. The boy cleared his throat a couple of times before finally following through but not without pauses between.

"I don't know why, Paz, but I feel like, _I don't know_," he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and ran a hand down his face, "Like maybe I'm disappointing you."

Cue bag of bricks to already sinking heart. Nice.

Pacifica closed her eyes and massaged her brow with the thumb and forefinger of one hand but stopped when she realized it was habit she picked up from him. An involuntary aggravated huff came out of her.

How much harder was this going to _fucking_ get?

"Look, Dipper," she growled, "first things first," she finally looked at him, she _needed_ to get her point across, "I'm _**not**_ asking _**anything**_ from you," she said emphatic.

"I'm not an idiot, maybe I am for being honest, but I kind of knew you _didn't_ feel the same way," she gritted her teeth and scrunched up her face, "I don't know, it just felt like high time I told you, you know?"

Although she felt the overwhelming urge to leave so she could recuperate and gather but she needed to close this. Dipper was her friend. Her best friend.

He was the boy who was bluntly honest with her - the courageous idiot who wasn't afraid to knock her down a few pegs. She needed him as a friend more than she needed him to like her back.

"Do you understand?"

He nodded his head, "ngh, it still doesn't keep me from feeling crummy."

She laughed because he sounded like he was twelve again and just as sulky.

She smiled looking at her muddy shoes. She might have been jilted but there was always something soft about his company.

It was nice how the silence wasn't thick anymore.

From the corner of her eye she could see Dipper watching the sun setting between the pine trees ahead.

She felt her cheeks flush because c'mon, everything about him, down to his awkwardness and bird's nest hair, was charming.

Pacifica moved to stand which made Dipper snap his neck to her.

"Leaving already?" he sounded anxious.

"Yea, got to get home," she stretched her back, "I kind of spent the day making dresses with Mabel. I'm probably going to spend the night washing glitter off my hair," she joked and he chuckled.

Dipper stood up as she made her way to her car.

"We're still on for Greasy's tomorrow right?" he looked itchy by the way his face was awkwardly contorted and his feet was shuffling like he didn't know what to do with himself.

Pacifica couldn't hide the fond smile that he naturally brought out of her. Instead of her pride revolting she felt a tiny lift in her chest.

"Of course, dummy."

* * *

**You guys, you don't know how difficult it is to write a character when you haven't finalized a headcanon for them.**

**I like Pacifcia. I don't know why I like her. But idk. I have this idea in my head that's she's sarcastic, independent and mean when she needs to be. But it's hard to translate that into work without getting all wordy or explain-y. I want to show than tell.**

**I can imagine her accompanying Dipper while he does groceries for the Shack and just like shaking her head like no, Dipper, that's not how you do groceries. And just putting back the random things he puts in the cart and putting in practical things the Shack really needs like paper towels.**

**And my god, she's going to be smart. Because she's rich and of course her parents are going to shell out for the best tutors and fine arts teachers. She knows how to draw I'm pretty sure. In this story I'm making her help Dipper with sketching a lay out of all the creepy hidden parts of Gravity Falls. But Idk how to write that yet.**

**She's going to be proud. It comes with the upbringing. She's figuring out how to balance her pride without you know over doing it.**

**I need more headcanons for Pacifica Northwest. She's just not this obedient neglected kid who displaces her anger. **

**She's not insecure, I'm adamant about that at least.**

**She reminds me of Helga Pataki and Cindy Vortex mixed together.**

**But I don't want to push into a mould. I want to wait until Alex shows us more of her before deciding who she really is.**

**And Dipper. How do you even describe Dipper? He's this eager kid who's on the brink of falling into being himself. If that makes sense. He's a dork with low self-esteem but at the same time he's himself… what.**

**Maybe this whole Gravity Falls summer is really him building up his confidence. **

**If you made it all the way down here, share me your headcanons and type in banana.**

**Yes, this will be a multi-chap. They're going on an adventuuure!**


	2. Greasy's Diner

**Thanks for the reviews! Although I got to tell you, I was actually holding out for more. hahahaha.**

**Make me happy, Fallers. _Please._**

**_THANKS FOR THE BANANAS._**

* * *

"Mabel, are you even listening?" Dipper whined.

"Dipper," his twin said seriously, well as seriously a person could while making a fort out of their French fries, "I heard ya, bro. And I still think you're over reacting - Pacifica has **not** been avoiding you."

"Really? What about yesterday, she came over and saw me at the couch and _instantly_ suggested you both go upstairs to do _girl_ things!"

"Maybe she wanted to get into her feminine side before she went out exploring with you. You know how your adventures get," Mabel pointed out while she finished the watch tower to her fort.

"What about when we got here like two weeks ago and I asked her, as in_ straight_ to her face, if she got the package I sent?"

Mabel rolled her eyes.

_"Again," _Mabel said in the most patient tone she could muster, "she was busy separating my fuzzy earrings from her hair, Dip, I did get overly enthusiastic with that hug," Mabel pointed at him with a fry she stole from his plate before plopping it into her mouth, _"nom."_

"She could've at least nodded!"

"Gah, she did! I even heard her grunt an _uh-huh_. What more did you want?"

Dipper sulkily reclined in his seat on his side of the booth and grumpily crossed his arms over his chest.

"A thank you would have been appreciated. I mean, I did get her BABBA on vinyl and that," he pointed at his sister, "was not easy to find at all, my friend."

Mabel suddenly stopped and looked up from her plate. She made sure to meet Dipper in the eye,

"You're being oddly persistent about this," Mabel said with a suspicious look.

Dipper raised an eyebrow.

But Mabel could see right through her brother's poker face any day of the week.

"You like her!" Mabel nearly shouted.

"What! Gross, no!"

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!"

"Mabel, keep it down!" Dipper tried to shut his sister's mouth from across the table, "the whole town's going to hear you!"

"Dipper and Pacifica sitting on a tree – "

"God, Mabel, you're seventeen! Get it together, woman," the red that tinted his cheeks took the bite out of his remark, Mabel thinks.

"Really? _Really,_ Dipper? That's rich coming from you considering you just said," she held her hands up and tried to mimic Dipper's voice, "_'GROSS, NO!'_ when I asked you if you liked her! It's not like she has cooties, bro bro," Mabel playfully jabbed at her brother with an amused lilt to her voice.

Dipper buried his face in his palms and groaned. He seriously needed to grow up.

"Mabel would _please_ be serious for once?" he groaned from behind his hands.

"Woah, man," Mabel instantly sat up, "this must be serious biz if it's got you being Old Man Dipper."

Dipper dropped his hands and gave her his trademark surly expression much like Nick's turtle face on New Girl. Mabel privately laughed at her own reference.

"Old Man Dipper is not a thing," he said in a gruff tone.

"Oh, but it is," she laughed while she cheekily picked and ate a fry from his plate. Dipper didn't even bother to slap her hand away.

"But seriously, what's gotten over you? You've been, I don't know, surly- m_ore surly?_ \- since we got back. Even Grunkle Stan's been asking about you."

Dipper reached up and grabbed a fist full of his hair just above his temples as he decided whether he should tell his sister or not about his talk with Pacifica yesterday.

He was anxious and itchy. And confused, a whole lot of that actually. God, did he need someone to talk to.

"Look, I'll tell you. But you have to promise me – like Mystery Twins _super_ promise – to not tell anyone or even react right now, got it?"

Mabel nodded, comically serious.

Dipper sighed in exasperation but took it anyway.

"So," he started, "when Pacifica came down from the attic yesterday, I kind of waited for her on the porch -"

"Because that's not creepy at all, Dipper," she said sardonically.

_"Thanks,_ Mabel," he gave her a sarcastic thumbs up. "So, anyway, I asked her whether she wanted to hang out today and she was like, _sure_ and she didn't seem interested at all," he shrugged his shoulders looking bewildered, "I kind of panicked and just straight up asked her why she was avoiding me," Dipper paused to see if Mabel was listening.

Pacifica avoiding him since he came back must have been bothering him. So much that he, the **most** _non confrontational_ person when it mattered, confronted her about it.

Mabel finally got how serious he was about this.

"Go on," she said with her elbows on the table and fingers steeple over her French fries fort.

"And, I don't know," he rubbed the back of his neck, "one thing led to another and, um, she, uh, kind of told me she liked me," he mumbled, too chicken to look his sister in the eye.

When Dipper didn't hear even a tiny gleeful gasp from the girl, he looked up.

"That's it?" she asked with an '_so, what?_' almost written across her brow.

Dipper, to say the least, was nonplussed.

"WHAT! Mabel, didn't hear what I just said?" he looked around the diner before saying in a whisper, "_Pacifica likes me_," his cheeks were blazing, he didn't know why.

"Pssh, that's so last _last_ summer," Mabel waved looking bored. "What did you say next?" Mabel asked with her cheek resting on her propped up hand.

"Woah, wait, hold up. Back up, man, what do you mean so last _**last**_ summer?" he looked like his world didn't make sense anymore.

Mabel rolled her eyes, _boys._

"She likes you, Dip, it's not a big deal."

"How is that not a big deal?" he wheezed out.

"I swear you're such a dork sometimes," she said going back to her fort.

"It's a big deal to **me**, man," he wildly gestured with his face still red.

"Why **is** it a big deal?" she asked with the most dead serious tone he had ever heard from his sister, with her eyebrow arched teasingly. That made him shut up. He fell into her trap, he knew.

**Why** was it a big deal? Why **wasn't** it a big deal!

He tried to process a reply and opened his mouth to retort but before he could even start Mabel cut him off-

"We're not finished with this," she said in a rush before sitting up in her seat and excitedly waved someone over.

Poor boy was still taking everything in and didn't understand why until he heard a soft "Hey," that made him jump out of his skin.

"Pacifica! Paz, oh _hey!"_ he squeaked out, sweating.

He just _knew_ Mabel was rolling her eyes across him. _Shut up_, he willed.

"I, uh," he coughed and bumped a fist to his chest to clear it, "we ordered for you," he said pointing to the plate in the center.

"Thanks," she said and he could tell there was a split second of indecision where she was deciding who to sit with before she settled on Mabel's side of the booth.

That bothered him just a bit but he brushed it off.

"So, did you bring your sketches?" Dipper asked before he thought too much of what she meant by it.

They were okay yesterday. He mentally cleared his head.

"Yes, sir," she said dryly which he had to admit was characteristic of her.

Pacifica brought a worn book out of her bag and placed it on the table.

Her drawing journal.

Dipper could see where she stitched on more pages and repaired the hardcover.

Much like his journal, it showed signs of being handled.

The corners of his lips lifted softly.

He busied himself with looking through the sketches she made while she and Mabel gossiped. Most of the drawings were of the places they've explored around Gravity Falls' woods. A map and creature guide.

A journal worth 5 years of adventure.

He continued to aimlessly flip through the journal until a page caught his eye. The Griffin's Cave.

He has known her for years but it still amazes him how well she drew. Dipper knew you had to have natural talent to draw like this.

That made him happy for her.

Dipper thumbed a sketch she made of a creature with a head of an eagle but with the body of lion. _Look at that detail_, he thought, as he scrutinized the creature's wings. His sleuth's eye gamely took in the page's fine strokes. The feathers almost looked real.

He remembered how they spent last summer looking for that cave. He faintly remembered watching Pacifica as she drew the sleeping griffin not 15 feet away from her.

He remembered catching her arm to warn her about getting too close..

"Dipper, Earth to big dork, _**Dipper**_," it was Pacifica.

His head snapped up and he caught her eye. Dipper felt the strangest shock down his spine.

_Wait, what now?_

"Come again?" he stuttered.

"I asked if we were still up for camping this weekend."

That made him itchy.

"I know we, uh, emailed about going up there but if you, I mean considering that, uh," he stumbled out.

"Considering what?" Pacifica met his eyes in a challenge, with a brow arched almost threateningly. He must have struck a chord.

"Nothing, nothing. Absolutely, _nothing,"_ Dipper was quick to say lest he annoyed her more.

"Good," she said firmly before she went back to her burger.

Dipper heard Mabel stage whisper a, "buuurn."

* * *

**I don't even know where I'm going with this story. All I know is they're going on a camping trip to explore this idk even thing so they can sort of complete their map… and you know what, give me suggestions.**

**And yea Mabel was allowed to say burn bc:**

**1\. Pacifica already confessed to the girls about her feels for Dipper**

**2\. Bc she wasn't dumb enough to not notice that Pacifica was being meaner than usual. And plus Dipper was being a straight up idiot by saying what he said.**

**3\. She knows Pacifica. Mabel knew her pride was still smarting even though she insisted it wasn't a big deal (Mabel just knew Pacifca said it wasn't a big deal bc THAT'S what she said when Pacifica told the girls about her feelings). People with pride issues will understand. If you don't, try imaging it like maybe you asked a friend if you looked fat/ugly today and they agreed. You'd probably laugh and still be tight but the comment would still linger at the back of your head, won't it? You say it's not a big deal bc you know it shouldn't be a big deal but REALLY it feels like a big deal.**

**Banana?**

**Also, were they a bit off character? I needed a Mabel and Dipper scene since they were easier to write out than Dipper and Pacifica interacting. **

**I need to work on my Pacifica, man.**

**I need to figure out how Dipper will act around her without this becoming too cheesy or romantic. I need it to be nerd love.**

**I'm having trouble with grammar bc I cannot decide on what tense to uuuuse.**

**BANANA.**

**I swear I don't usually leave such long A/N's.**


	3. Bonehead

**QUICK BACKGROUND ORIENTATION:**

**Pacifica and Dipper have never gone camping alone together. They've been on camping trips but it was always with other members of the gang like maybe Soos or Wendy.**

**But they have explored the woods alone. Trips like those only took about a day ((looking for magical creatures; exlporing to fill their map; etc.) because they had parents/guardians to go home to. On trips like those Mabel almost never came with.**

**Because essentially what they're doing is looking for something specific (like the Griffin Cave) - Mabel calls it**** _research_ Dipper calls it an _expedition._**

**Pacifica enjoys sketching the places they find so that's why she goes with Dipper.**

**Thanks for the bananas.**

* * *

Pacifica took in a deep breath.

"Get it together, Northwest," she chastised under her breath.

"It's just a camping trip," she paced around her room almost like how she pictured Dipper would –

"Stop it!" she shook her head still pacing.

"How could you forget! Of _all_ weekends, you suggest this one! I mean, c'mon, Mabel has been talking about it non stop! The Concert of a Lifetime, she penned it! &amp;Sandra and Voyage*, together, _**one night only**_," her voiced tapered off hysterically.

She paused.

"Mabel, Grenda and Candy are going out of town and you're going camping alone with Dipping Dots."

She paced again.

Her strides got worriedly longer and quicker.

"Look, you can do this. You've been on camping trips with him before," she reminded herself.

"Granted they were all with Mabel and the gang, and okay so maybe they were all for 4th of July and weren't really _camping trips_ camping trips. But still, you can do this," she faced the mirror and pointed firmly at her reflection.

She looked determined.

But her insides were a mess of free floating worms.

"Gah!" she raised her arms in exasperation and continued her pacing.

"It doesn't matter! You've combed those woods with him countless of times. Alone. You've gone trekking – " she counted on her fingers " - mountain climbing, scouting and repelling," she paused by her window,

"This time shouldn't be any different…" she finished unsurely.

Right?

She didn't know.

Dipper was a boy and she was girl. Alone in the woods. No adult supervision. After hours. That spelled trouble, she was positive.

Add his awkwardness and her stubbornness... it was bound to be distressing.

But they needed this if they ever wanted to be normal again.

Pacifica knew that but still, she didn't want to talk about... the incident.

Knowing Dipper he probably would bring it up until he somehow closed it... much like how he would handle any mystery.

What a dork.

An involuntary smile found its way to her lips.

She missed him that much was apparent to her. Geeky obsessions and all.

It wasn't like Pacifica set out to avoid the man/boy but it was just that... she was never so acutely aware of how this would be their last summer together and that Jesus, she needed to either get over him or risk it.

And getting over him somehow equated to unintentionally avoiding him.

Because bottom line: Dipper was bad for her pride and ego.

Her chest still stung with her still pride recovering from the blow.

Who fell in love with their best friend, anyway?

She shook her head.

"No," she said firmly under her breath, **"not** love," she growled.

She took a breath, stopping by her window.

"Time to face facts, Pacifica Northwest," she solemnly shook her head at her reflection on the glass.

"You guys are going to end up talking about it."

* * *

"Mabel, please, _please_ **don't** go," Dipper begged his sister.

"Bro, you're over reacting," Mabel dead panned while she folded her sweaters neatly into her suitcase.

Dipper got up from his knees with his head hung low.

"Why are you even so bleak about this? Two weeks ago you wouldn't stop talking about it. _Li-ter-al-ly_."

Dipper gestured unhelpfully around him with the veins on his neck straining like that alone would explain to his sister why.

Mabel crossed her arms and made a point of waiting for him to verbally get it out.

"Because it's going to be weird!" he burst.

Mabel rolled her eyes.

"Dipper, she's your friend, some would say your best friend," she continued packing, her attention half on her suitcase and the other on her brother. _Did she bring enough tacky ribbons? Her 80s poufy skirt?_

"She is. She's my best friend," Dipper said with conviction.

Mabel tried to concentrate on the conversation more. _Hairspray?_

"So, what's the problem?"

"She's my best friend and how am I suppose to act around her now?" he answered truthfully and sat slowly on his sister's bed.

Mabel snorted.

"You don't have to act any differently around her," Mabel said sternly with her hands on her hips.

_Honestly, how could he not understand that?_

Dipper didn't look up. He continued to stare dejectedly at his shoes.

Mabel's face softened. Her brother really was lost, though she couldn't fathom why.

She sat beside him on the bed.

"Dipper, listen, I know you're really confused but trust me, Pacifica wasn't lying when she said she wasn't expecting anything from you," she recounted what Dipper told her earlier when they got back from Greasy's.

"I know, _I know_," he said vehemently, "But _why_ do I feel like I'm disappointing her?" he flopped on his back, ever the sulky teenager.

Mabel softly chuckled and playfully poked his side.

"Because, dumdum, you know how it feels like to get rejected," Mabel reminded him of his tween crush – Wendy Corduroy.

Dipper gave a cry of shame.

"We agreed to never talk about that again," he looked at her accusingly, "_ever_!" stuffing his face under a pillow.

Mabel laughed.

Dipper removed the pillow from his face, half-smiling. He was _so_ over it. Wendy was in Illinois last time he checked getting into the Demolition Derby scene. He made a mental note to check up on her soon.

He could really use her laid back advice right about now.

Deeper sighed deeply just staring at the ceiling.

He could see Mabel from the corner of his eye twiddling with a loose thread on her sweater.

They lapsed in to silence then,

Mabel pulled on his hat.

"Tell me," Mabel said softly, "why is this _bothering_ you so much?"

Why? Good question.

"She's frustrating," he grumbled.

Mabel laughed.

"Well, yea, but what else? It's got to be more than that, Dip," Mabel prodded.

Dipper had an idea why but didn't know how to say it without sounding... sentimental.

He was frustrated. And disappointed.

Because this was their last **real** summer together before they go to college. Next summer he's sure he'll end up doing course work while Pacifica travelled to… wherever kids with money go to for university.

Because this summer was suppose to be them, as in everyone, making the most of their teenage lives and living shit up.

A last shebang. Mystery Twins and the Shelots.

But the dynamic, his little head insisted, has changed. His autistic brain didn't know how to adjust to that. He didn't know if he could ever, actually.

And he knew for a fact that making her talk about it would be next to impossible.

She was Emotionlly Constipated and as the friend who saw, firsthand, how her family treated her understood where she was coming from. He respected her boundaries.

Pride had always been a Northwest thing.

Her father was about public image and reputation while her mother loved her beauty too strongly. That was what she grew up with.

But he had witnessed her come out of that. Helped her even, Dipper liked to think. But he didn't do too much with her growth, he knew.

She was always what she was now - headstrong, independent and mean.

He just helped that stilted valley girl understand that she was allowed to be herself.

She didn't need to be as high strung as her father or as narcissistic as her mother.

He has helped her grow just as much as she helped him.

Their relationship wasn't exactly smooth to say the least. They were caustic and volatile and at times, even hurtful.

She was outspoken and outgoing. They fought only because they were always honest with each other. She calls him out on his anti-social tendencies while he calls her out on her snobbish rich kid persona.

Pacifica brought him out of his head and he missed having her sarcastic running commentary, about his dismal existence, in the background.

If she wasn't making fun of him just for laughs then she was irritating him.

That was another thing too!

He was frustrated. Pacifica always managed to do that to him. Whether it's her refusing his help or being just plain stubborn, she always, _always,_ managed to rile him up.

How do you explain that to your sister?

That your best friend, the same girl who secretly shared your geeky obsessions, but all the same teased you about it, was the _only_ girl in the world who made you angry just as much (just as _easily_) as your sister did –

**Without** implying that you had feelings for said girl?

Because he knew that if he were ever to say that out loud Mabel would instantly take it as a semi-confession. Somehow take that Pacifica was someone special special to him.

He could easily see Mabel taking it upon herself as her sisterly duties to get them together. Play matchmaker.

Pacifca was special to him, he ascertained.

She was someone he wanted to spend time with - he could insult her without really insulting and on the same day just as easily sit on the couch doing nothing for hours. But he didn't think of her, you know, _that way._

How do you _even_ explain all of that?

He decided to paraphrase.

"We're close but I've always been… mean to her? It's how we work," he shrugged his shoulders.

"And?" his sister said encouragingly, almost like she was excitedly waiting for a big turn about.

Well, tough luck, sister.

"Now," he flippantly waved a hand, "there's all this awkwardness and how am I even suppose to respond to that?" he said in a nervous frantic way. He absolutely did not know.

"You tell her you like her back, you idiot!"

See.

He rolled his eyes and furrowed his brow.

_If he had to explain this **one more** time..._

"Mabel, don't be ridiculous," he looked at his humorlessly, " I do not like Pacifica that way."

"Nuh-uh. Yes, yes you do, Dipper!" his sister animatedly insisted which contrasted greatly with her brother's dour mood.

"That is so wrong on _so_ many levels," he folded an arm behind his head and placed the other on his stomach.

**"First** of all, we kind of hate each other, **_second,_** we fight most of the time and **third,"** he shrugged, "she's like a sister to me," he explained while he scratched his nose.

"You, poor _poor_ misguided fool," Mabel theatrically shook her brother's shoulders.

He gave his sister a baffled look.

_You ackin' cray cray Mabel, _it said.

"You sent her a VINLY copy of an Icelandic pop princess a WEEK before we got here because you were so excited that you couldn't wait! You order for her because you know she doesn't like waiting for her food! You were so bothered by her not paying attention to you that you actually, actually, confronted her about it. Dipper, DIPPER! How does that translate with you not liking her?"

Dipper sat up.

"Say that again," he said.

Mabel saw the epiphany creeping slowly on his face.

She broke his world. _All right, superior twin!_

"I know," Mabel sagely smiled her eyebrows wiggling, "It's a lot to take in."

"No, man, that's not what I meant!"

It was Mabel's turn to look bewildered.

Her brother looked worried and… itchy.

"Oh, man, oh, man, _oh, man_," he said in a rush.

"What? What is it?" she said frantically. Mabel could feel her heart spike.

_What was happening?_

She held her breath, anticipating some Dipper-like factor she might have overlooked...

"I've been leading her on all _these_ years!" he shot right up and started pacing around his sister's room.

Mabel deflated.

She palmed her forehead.

Her brother may have been above average but gods,

He sure was a bonehead.

"All these years!" he panicked, "And right after she confessed too! I'm an idiot!" he fisted his hair.

Mabel flopped on to her bed, face palming.

An idiot. A complete utter nutter butter.

"I have to talk to Soos about this," he said more to himself than to his sister, before walking out the attic room.

Mabel huffed, aggravated.

She could easily picture what a disaster the camping trip would be. She almost called Dipper back.

Almost.

* * *

***Voyage: as in the band Journey.**

**Never Stop Unbelieving**

**Also Dipper moved to the room in the basement while Soos finally made himself a shed outside the Shack.**

**Banana.**


	4. Terror Trap

"And bottom line is, she kind of told me she liked _liked_ me," Dipper nervously said while rubbed the back of his neck.

He wasn't so sure if it was the smart move telling Soos about his conversation with Pacifica but god, did he need a guy's perspective right about now.

On bated breath no less.

From his seat on a rickety stool, Dipper watched as the Shack's handyman scratched his head.

"Could've sworn it was the other way around," he said confused.

"WHAT!" Dipper didn't know his voice could still break.

"Yea, man," the manchild turned on his seat to get back to fixing something for Mr. Pines, "I don't know, I just got this vibe that you had a thing for Pacifica and I guess I never got around to asking you about it," he turned back to Dipper and shrugged his shoulder, "Funny how things turn out, huh bro?" he said good naturedly.

Dipper was still trying to process what Soos said.

Him? As in Dipper Pines liked Pacifica Northwest first? And not the other way around?

The world had to be joking.

_You would think __**he**__ would be the __**first**__ to know if he liked a girl, right?_

Right!

But then again… Soos, despite how he looked and acted, was a pretty astute guy. Accurate too from what he remembered from those times when Soos felt big-brother obliged to accompany them in their more dangerous adventures. He knew what plants were poisonous and what trails were safer. Soos was a genius; Dipper had no qualms of declaring.

But c'mon! Him liking Pacifca _first_ was too far off - way too far off, man. It had to be, he did **not** fall for his best friend, goddamnit.

But Soos was the most exact person he knows, _what if_ he was right?

Soos watched the terror dawning on Dipper's face and his smile fell.

"Oh no man, don't do that!" he waved his hands frantically, "Don't over-think it, you'll end up making more trouble for yourself," Soos said desperately.

Soos got up and made his way to the older Pines twin and bowed so that he was level with Dipper's "thinkning" face.

"Do not take it the wrong way. I repeat – Do. Not. Take. It. The. Wrong. Way," he said soberly.

Dipper waved Soos's face away from his when came back down from his, what felt like, crisis.

He just had two great 'epiphanies' in the last 20 minutes, which not to mention were polar opposites from each other, of course he was going to take it the wrong way.

He came in Soos's shed looking for a guy's perspective and maybe even some solid advice but I guess life didn't favor lost boys.

Dipper was still calming down from his ¾ quarter life crisis. He didn't know why but he felt drained liked he ran a mile and was just realizing yea, hey, I'm way too unfit for this.

His anxiety levels which were normally high were now through the roof.

How do you solve something like this?

He was a detective right? He could do this. And even good detective needed more clues and evidence. His trip would Pacifica could possibly give him some answers. If he wasn't too chicken to face her, that is.

But what if Soos was wrong?

"I kind of thought that I was leading her on all these years?" his affirmation came out as a question.

Dipper discovered it was a dumb question at that when Soos full out deep bellied laughed.

"Dude, good one," he laughed some more and wiped a tear.

Right, Dipper rolled his eyes.

* * *

"And don't forget to feed Waddles, okay?" Mabel tearfully reminded her brother.

"Geez, Mabel, if this trip's giving you separation anxiety maybe you shouldn't go at all," Dipper said nonchalantly.

Mabel laughed and pinched her brother's cheeks, "And you would like that, wouldn't you, ser I'm A Dork A Lot?" she said cheekily.

Dipper gloomily rubbed his cheek, "hey, can't blame a guy for trying," he said under his breath.

"Where is Grunkle Stan, anyway?" Mabel asked looking at the Shack's back door. If they wanted to be on time for the concert he should've been out by now!

Mabel started t make her way to the back porch when the screen door theatrically opened and out came a Stan with a put up look about him.

"As we all know your sister, the she devil there, has coerced me –"

"Not coerced but asked, _nicely_ I might add," Mabel said as she made her way to the car this time.

"Right, as I was saying, COERCED ME into taking her and her misfit friends up to god knows where so they could see a bunch of has beens – "

"Grunkle Stan, they are **not** has beens!" Mabel said scandalized from the car window.

"Trying to get one last squeeze out of pitiful fame," he continued uninterrupted.

Dipper waited long suffering for Stan to reach his point.

"And thus leaving you and the manchild in charge," he finished with, "Don't wreck the place kid, capiche?"

In times like these it was always better to just agree.

"Yea sure, Stan," he said stoically.

The car horn beeped.

"C'mon, Grunkle Stan, we still have to pick up Grenda and Candly, let's goo! Move your butt, old man."

"Why do I put up with this kid?" he said under his breath, "All right all right, hold your haunches, I just got to talk to your brother for a bit," he called out.

He faced Dipper seriously,

"Look, I know you're what is it now? Seventeen? Yea sure, seventeen," he cleared his throat.

"What's happening?" Dipper said alert now. _Where was this going?_

"You're a seventeen year old healthy boy and I want you to be smart, too," he took out a box from his coat and handed it to Dipper, "So, take this and you know," he said lamely, "be smart."

Dipper didn't even want to see what his Grand Uncle placed in his hands. He had a feeling he already knew but still it didn't stop the embarrassment from flooding it. On the contrary it doubled and assured it.

Jesus, why? On top of everything, his Uncle thinks he's active? And that he was going to do… it… while they were gone?

Kill him now.

"Grunkle Stan, it's not what – " he tried to explain but Stan shot a hand out.

"No, kid, save us both the embarrassment and don't explain, all right?" he said messaging his brow with one hand.

Dipper had no idea how to proceed. Maybe it had something to do with the box of unopened condoms in his hands. We'll never know.

"Look, kid, just be smart okay?" his grunkle said solemnly, "And always remember be respectful, if she says no then it's a NO," he said firmly.

In times like these it was always better to just agree.

Even if everything was way out of context and maybe just plain awkward.

Dipper robotically nodded.

Right, he needed mental white out. Or bleach, that would work too.

A proud fatherly smile made its way to Stan's face.

"Never knew you had it in you, kid," his hands on his lapels.

"You remind me of, well me, when I was a young hotshot," he said almost wistful and he would've continued and Dipper would've died had not Mabel honked the car horn again.

"Let's go!"

"Right," their grunkle came back down, "don't burn the house down."

"Yea," Dipper managed to squeak out. He sighed in relief, it was over.

He was feeling safe when Stan suddenly pinched his cheeks.

"Look at you all grown up," he fondly (painfully) patted his grand nephews blazing cheek.

* * *

**GUYS. Sorry for the long wait but THANK YOU FOR THE BANANAS AND FAVS AND FOLLOWS**

**THANKS!**

**More soon.**

**And yes... the camping trip follows.**

**Help me make a better summary for this story please! Review your thoughts and just plain banana me, man.**


	5. High or Slowly Patching Things Up

Pacifica wasn't insecure. She hasn't been for the longest time. But the growing silence between her and Dipper, as they trudged up the woods, was getting to her. The silence made her think about things.

Things she really doesn't want to even acknowledge right now because they were so... juvenile.

Things like whether he thought she was bad company or not? Or maybe he thought this trip was going to be a disaster like how she faintly knows it will be? Or even… did he like her hair?

She adjusted her backpack almost uncomfortably trying not to give the boy in front of her a second glance.

She didn't know if Dipper was actively ignoring her or was just reacting to her cold shoulder.

Not that she did it on purpose. More like in a proud attempt to make it look like she wasn't bothered, because _really_ she _wasn't,_ she was nothing but perfunctory with him this morning. She hoped she was at least pleasant. Petulant?

She arrived at the Shack to pick him pick around 7 am just missing Mabel and Stan leaving.

And she must have looked so unapproachable that all Dipper said in greeting was that he had to remind Soos to feed Waddles.

Here would be where she normally teases him about disappointing Mabel but he hasn't greeted her good morning yet and it kind of, _kind of_, bothered her.

So she gave him a terse nod.

Which was polite but uncharacteristic. Probably setting the whole camping trip into the awkward mess he most likely _already_ convinced himself it would be.

And since then she's been mad at herself. Or more like disappointed.

She liked Dipper and that probably wasn't going away but he makes her childishly mad.

And normally she would've pulled his hair out by now, one way or another, but he wasn't really giving her any headway. How was she going to fix this if he wouldn't even goddamn look at her?

Not to mention something in the back of her head tells her this was all her fault.

Pacifca kicked the dirt, brooding, getting her shoes with the mud stains even dirtier. That only made her think about carpets and honest little boys. Gah.

She needed something to snack on.

Without really bothering to call for the boy to wait up, she stopped to rifle through her backpack.

It didn't bother her that he didn't notice her falling back. She would catch up, no big deal. And if he really wanted her here he would at least look at her.

Pacifica grumbled annoyed at how prissy and girly she was being as she knelt on one knee digging deeper into her pack.

_Where was it?_ She grinded her teeth.

A zip locked bag of baby carrots made its way into her line and vision.

Only it had an outstretched hand connected to it.

She looked up to find Dipper almost shyly holding the bag out for her to take.

"You always forget to pack some," he said as a way of explaining.

She could feel her girlish heart melting. _C'mon!_

_Be nice._

_You have to be nice if you want this trip to work out._

She slowly took it from his hand willing him to look at her.  
_  
Just one measly eye contact, dork, c'mon._

Dipper glanced down at her. She didn't say anything until his eyes met hers.

"Thanks," she made sure to mean it.

_Thanks for trusting me to not take it the wrong way._

"C'mon," he said with a small smile.

He turned around, this time waiting for her to fall in step with him.

* * *

Making progress with Pacifica was always difficult, Dipper objectively thought. But always fun, a voice, strangely like Mabel's, reminded him. And just as quickly, his brain brought back memories from when they were twelve and ghost busting in formal attire.

Unbidden, a smile graced his face.

They were friends. Strange as it may seem to others, they were really some team.

He chanced a glance at the running girl beside him, dodging branches and fallen logs easily like this was just another day of track practice at her all too impressive (expensive) private school.

She must've felt his eyes on her by how she instinctively looked at him too.

She answered his skewed smile with one of her own.

Pacifica tipped her head back almost as if to say, _this monster, huh?_

And that got him.

He laughed, without really knowing why. But at that moment the whole dread he felt since he got back to Gravity Falls suddenly lifted. And he was just happy - happily running, with his best friend, through the woods from something that was most likely (_most definitely_) trying to eat them. For a strange moment, he was twelve again.

He felt like he could take on the world. Like the past few days didn't happen. Like he wasn't forced to examine his feelings (or if he had any, that is) for this girl beside him.

Dipper felt Pacifica roughly grab his hand and took them into a sharp left turn. They stumbled down a slightly steep side. She pushed his chest down with an outstretched hand, pressing their backs to the dirt, listening intently with her neck craned looking to where they 'fell' from, as if she could hear better that way.

They heard their pursuer heavily running by.

Dipper and Pacifica let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Well that was fun," she said sarcastically.

"Ended too soon, don't you think?" he answered cheekily. It almost felt like old times.

The girl beside him snickered and a laugh burst out from her like she couldn't contain it anymore. They both couldn't. It's been too long since they got into a life threatening situation and frankly the high from coming out alive was too damn much. They missed this.

They looked at each other laughing and Dipper liked the sparkle she had. Stricken by his thoughts, his laugh subsided.

_What?_

If she noticed the shift in him, she didn't comment on it. But retracted the arm that was still on his chest, he didn't even notice it was still there, and half-hardheartedly continued laughing but this time with her head shyly bent.

"That was badass," her voice coming out forcibly happy, he could tell she was determined to keep their easy company going and for some reason that calmed him.

"You should draw it," Dipper said without really thinking, "It'd be good to get sketch of it, and it just adds to our suspicion that we're getting closer to the bunk. The journal said something about a creature the size of Montana living nearby. I didn't think it would still be alive, I mean considering it's been what? Forty years?" he rambled on.

Pacifica gave him a reassuring smile.

"Dip, chill, I'll get to that later," she laughed easily.

Or at least she hoped it sounded effortlessly. Because honestly, she couldn't even remember if the creature had four or two legs, all she could see was Dipper laughing beside her, the trees whizzing by in the backdrop.

"C'mon, we should keep heading west," Dipper stood up. He was about to help her but thought better of it. She'll probably just slap his hand away. And he had a feeling he would end up feeling itchy again if he touched her hand.

She stood up slowly beside him.

"Hey, Dip," she said quietly.

"Yea?" he said opening his journal.

"I'm really glad we decided to do this," she said, too rushed to be casual. This was her way of fixing things, she hopes it works.

He didn't look up from his book but his could feel his eyes minutely bug out. He cleared his throat nervously.

"Yea, me too," he couldn't explain why looking at her was suddenly so difficult.

_What the hell? _

* * *

**Hi. I know I'm a jerk but guys, forgive me. I hope you'll be happy with this at least :)**


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